UN High Commissioner Of Human Rights Urges Israel To End Violence In The West Bank

UNSPLASH/Raimond Clavins ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday urged Israel to immediately end violence in the occupied West Bank.

"Israel must immediately reorganize its policies and actions in the occupied West Bank region according to international human rights standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life," Turk said in a statement quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, June 23.

"In order for this violence to end, the occupation must end," he said.

He said people with political power must immediately take steps to make this happen.

Turk warned of violence that broke out this week in the West Bank "an uncontrolled risk, triggered by sharp political rhetoric and an escalation of the Israeli use of advanced military weapons".

"The recent killings and violence, together with inflammatory rhetoric, only pushed Israelis and Palestinians into a deep ravine," he said.

Israeli security forces carried out airstrikes at Jenin refugee camps in the West Bank occupation area on Monday.

The incident killed at least seven Palestinians, including a boy and a girl, and injured 91 others and seven Israeli soldiers, according to a UN statement.

In a recent incident on Wednesday, Israeli forces-protected settlers carried out brutal attacks on the village of Turmus Ayya, the central West Bank, Palestine, killing a Palestinian and injuring dozens of others, while 30 houses, 60 cars and dozens of olive trees were burned.

Tensions have continued to rise in the West Bank in recent months amid a wave of Israeli attacks on Palestinian cities.

Nearly 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the year, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. At least 25 Israelis were also killed in separate attacks at the same time.

About 700 thousand settlers are estimated to live in 164 settlements and 116 border areas in the West Bank.

According to international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.